Table 4.2 Local labour market information on young people Questions to ask How many young people 16-18 years old will ba in Me provider's catchment area
Sources of information
• Local authority demographic forecasts
in the future? What have been and am
• Career services data
likely to be young people's destination patterns (e.g. school, VET, employment)?
• Historical data extrapolated from these sourcea s:Iould be used with caution
What types of VET programme • Provider records on enrolment • This information is easily are proving more popular with
and student satisfaction
young people?
• Career service data
Where do student demand and employer need for skills most closely correspond?
• Provider marketing visits to enterprises. • Provider studies of graduate destinations and labour maket
accessible and reliaUe
• The industry view may be the
most reliable
success Local government economic strategy Local industry employment and occupational forecasts Source: DFEE, 1995a.
government creates incentives promoting local business and attractine investors, naining can be of little help. In such circumstances, especially when countries are experiencing funds shortages, Programmes with low placement rates can be removed from government financing and offered on a commercial basis. Programmes focusing on training for self-employment should be expanded. The number of education and training places designed to produce foundation skills (rather than occupational skills) should be•increased. The applicant-to-admission ratios for particular courses can also reflect the market need for skills, however indirectly, through applicants' expectations for a return on their investment in acquiring particular skills. Individual demand for training very often mirrors the prestige associated with an occupation. Low applicantto-admission ratios and half-filled training classes may, to a certain extent, signal a low market demand for skills as well as the expectation of uncompetitive wages.
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